When Davis Mortuary was shuttered, and Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter resigned from the office, six people applied to fill the position.

Only one of them was qualified under state law.

That was Cotters deputy coroner, who was omitted from the search due to his close working relationship with Cotter. This forced Pueblo County Commissioners to appoint an individual who was not qualified under state law.

This dilemma has prompted state lawmakers to try to create more accessibility to the position in smaller counties, but it has some concerned about the quality of candidates that might step forward.

Greg Grahek has been Pueblo County's interim coroner since the resignation of Cotter in September. He is currently seeking a formal election into the role.

Grahek said he was upset when he learned the state legislature is trying to pass a bill that he says would lower the standards required to become a coroner in the county.

"I see the need to have a pool of people to elect for him, but you need to make it such that there are some baseline qualifications," said Grahek.

The bill is meant to improve transparency by requiring a coroner to post on their official website written disclosures of their financial interests, if they have any, such as owning a mortuary or funeral home.

However, tucked below in the qualifications, an amendment changes the population threshold for mandatory professional accreditations.

The amendment states a person is eligible to hold the office of coroner if they are a death investigator certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators or a forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology, but it raises the county population requirement for this rule from 150,000 to 300,000.

These professional accreditations would no longer apply to the role in Pueblo County if the bill passes.

Representative Tisha Mauro cites a lack of qualified individuals.

"We're raising the population to 300,000 before you qualify because counties at 300,000 or more have an abundance of that threshold that can run for office," said Rep. Mauro.

"I think that would be a good argument if it were actually a smaller county, but Pueblo is not a smaller county," says Steph Vigil, a former House representative, and the architect of the 150,000 threshold. "This wasn't like Steph Vigil came up with a number and said, figure it out. This was negotiated and discussed with the county coroners, specifically. This is their number. So, you know... it seems a little odd to me."

Grahek said he could support the adjustment to the bill with some changes.

"It's the minimum requirement to be elected. If you get elected, then within six months, you have to be certified," said Grahek.

Notably, Grahek was not certified upon accepting the interim coroner position, but became so within months.

A shared statement from the bill's primary sponsor defended the amendment.

"At its core, this amendment is about preserving democracy at the county level. Communities deserve more than one viable candidate when selecting someone for such an important role," said the sponsor.

But Grahek believes the change comes at a cost.

"It's been a hard seven months to start clawing back and gaining that trust and integrity and transparency to the office. So, we're going to lighten the laws? That actually makes no sense," said Grahek.

Beyond qualifications, Grahek is also concerned about how the legislation, specifically HB 26105, impacts transparency regarding financial conflicts of interest.

While the bill requires a coroner to post written disclosures of financial interests on their official website, Grahek argues it strips away deeper reporting requirements.

"Now, you still, under the new bill, would have to disclose that you have some relationship, but you don't have to disclose how many referrals did your family business get, how many referrals did you give to X mortuary," said Grahek. "What was that income? What was that dollar figure? And so then we just go, it seems shady.

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Pueblo City Council heard a proposal Monday evening for a safe-ride program aimed at protecting young people and preventing deadly crashes on the city's streets.

The program, called Arrive Alive 719, would provide free rides home for youth ages 15 to 22. It would operate Thursday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., filling a service gap after Pueblo's public transit closes.

Between 2016 and 2021, the city lost 22 teenagers to vehicle crashes, most of them on Saturday nights. The Boys and Girls Club of Pueblo is one of several partners seeking a solution to decrease these accidents.

"Here in Pueblo County, public transportation ends at 6 p.m., so we know that, you know, lots of people want to participate in activities after 6 p.m.," said Becky Medina.

The Senior Resource Development Agency (SRDA) would provide the rides free of charge.

"It would include three drivers, as well as a dispatcher, and we are looking at being able to design an app that, you know, young people can use so they can request a ride," said Medina.

SRDA said it would hire and diligently screen new drivers. The program would be funded by the Colorado Department of Transportations Clean Transit Enterprise Program, using funds from Senate Bill 230, which established fees on Colorado oil and gas for public transit improvements.

Medina told me the program would initially launch for youth within Pueblos city limits.

"We hope to be able to get this out to Pueblo County and Pueblo West in the future," said Medina.

The program is expected to launch at the end of May.

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A southern Colorado nonprofit is providing free exercise and recreation programs for children with special needs, filling a crucial gap in the community.

Kevin Blunt founded Autism Mana five years ago after moving from Hawaii. He realized there was a lack of therapeutic and recreational activities for youth in the area, including his 13-year-old nonverbal son.

"There's a lot of families like ours that can't go and sign up for regular softball, baseball, soccer, or any of those events," said Blunt.

The organization hosts a free 10-week exercise program in the spring and fall. Classes are currently held every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at E.P.I.C. Fitness, which is located near the I-25 and West 29th Street interchange, and will run until May 30.

Autism Mana also offers paddleboarding, equine-assisted learning and sensory-friendly roller skating.

"Getting them out, getting them active, getting them away from those tablets, making friends in a non-judgmental, all-inclusive environment is especially important for our special needs kiddos," said Blunt.

Laurie Duran has brought her son, Dane Rice, to the program for three years.

She said the free classes are vital for families and have helped her 12-year-old son come out of his shell and learn to stand up for himself.

"He recognizes his friends. He goes and greets his friends, you know, because we've known these kiddos for like three years, so they're part of our family now," said Duran.

Duran added that the program also provides a support system for parents to share resources and connect with others facing similar challenges.

Jayden Miller, 12, has been participating in the exercise classes since 2020. He said the workouts help him build physical strength.

"Because I need to get stronger and got to get my bones strong too," said Miller.

Miller also enjoys welcoming new participants, remembering how nervous he felt during his first class.

Autism Mana will host its first annual autism walk and resource fair at the Pueblo Riverwalk on April 25.

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The Pueblo County Rec Center will begin charging entry and membership fees on May 1, ending a period of free access that began with its soft opening in 2022.

The Pueblo County Parks and Recreation Department announced the new cost structure: $5 per entry, $30 per month for individuals, and $50 per month for families. A $3 rate applies to youth and low-income qualified individuals.

Amanda Hobson, the director of Pueblo County Parks and Recreation, told me the county's ongoing budget shortfall played no part in the decision to implement fees.

"There was always the intention to have fees based at this facility," says Hobson. "We also have a low-income opportunity as well, and those fees match the youth fees.

Jordan Cruz is one of many people who utilize the free open gym, weights, and boxing at the facility.

"I heard there's a nice, free gym out here, in driving distance, so twice a week I'm out here, Mondays and Wednesdays usually," Cruz said. "It is tough to lose something like that where it's free, where you can always count on.

Laura Garcia coaches youth basketball at the center and is now left with a difficult decision regarding her teams.

"I was able to get not only one team but two teams to be able to go do it for free," Garcia said. "La Gente is already a program that tends to the children that aren't really able to pay that much money for sports already.

"We're gonna probably have to relocate because I know a lot of the parents aren't gonna be able to afford that, and I wouldn't want that on them," she adds.

She says she wishes there had been more community collaboration before the decision was made.

"If they're gonna make prices to the public and have a program, we should have a say in it too. I feel like they should at least hear our voices and figure out what's good for the community," Garcia said.

In a world where prices seem to be rising everywhere, the change could affect some regular visitors.

"I can definitely see there are people not showing up, and then now there's only me and two other guys, and it would definitely affect me. Like, I'm not going to keep coming if there's nobody else here to play basketball with," Cruz said.

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